Oscars 2018: 5 Awards The Academy Got Right (And 8 They Got Wrong)

4. Best Production Design - The Shape Of Water

The Shape Of Water
Fox Searchlight

This one could just as easily have gone to Blade Runner 2049, since that film also took home Cinematography and Visual Effects, and undoubtedly many will think it should've done.

But whereas Blade Runner 2049 is great, it's more built upon what we've already seen in the original, and more of an achievement in cinematography above all else, along with some great VFX work (although not necessarily the best).

The Shape of Water looks like you'd imagine the inside of del Toro's mind does, a blend of monster movie homage, small-town America of the late-50s/early-60s, and a lush fantasy setting. Everything is beautifully realised in painstaking detail, from the overstuffed apartments to the colour palettes that match the characters, to the incredible bathroom flooding sequence, and it's a labour of love and imagination.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.